Home Robert A. Peterson

The Economic Impact of Direct Selling Activity in the United States in 2016

DSEF is proud to present a new, comprehensive study on the impact of direct selling on the US economy. The Economic Impact of Direct Selling Activity in the United States in 2016 research, conducted by DSEF Fellow and Circle of Honor award recipient Dr. Robert Peterson, reveals the full economic impact of direct selling companies; their employees, direct sellers and customers; and also that of manufacturers and other companies directly and indirectly involved in the supply chain of products and services; and taxes generated. Five states diverse in geography and population – California, Florida, New York, Ohio and Utah – were selected to illustrate the state-level economic impact of direct selling activity.

GO TO ARTICLE
Related Articles:

On the Ethicality of Internal Consumption in Multilevel Marketing

This paper examines the ethicality of internal consumption in multilevel marketing.

GO TO ARTICLE
Related Articles:

Technology and Business-to-Consumer Selling: Contemplating Research and Practice

Selling to consumers is becoming increasingly complex and difficult due to changes in the channel structure of the marketplace. These changes are being driven in part by a technological revolution incorporating interactive digital media. This introduction to the special issue presents a brief overview of technology-focused research in business-to-consumer selling. The goal of the introduction is to suggest and illustrate a research agenda that depicts the role and implications of technology in business-to-consumer selling.

GO TO ARTICLE
Related Articles:

What Is Direct Selling? Definition, Perspectives, and Research Agenda

This article presents a definition and discussion of direct selling, a marketing method that has received scant attention in the literature. Direct selling is discussed from operational, tactical, and strategic perspectives, and a summary of the available knowledge about direct selling– its worldwide revenues, product and service lines sold. its customers, and its salespeople– is presented and referenced. A suggested research agenda is offered in hopes of simulating academics, practitioners, and students to develop greater knowledge and understanding of direct selling.

GO TO ARTICLE
Related Articles:

Keywords:

The Effect of Effort on Sales Performance and Job Satisfaction

The authors address a fundamental gap in understanding how sales performance and job satisfaction are determined in an investigation of the sales force of a direct-selling organization. Results indicate a direct positive effect of work-related effort on job satisfaction that is not mediated by sales performance. This is inconsistent with commonly accepted theoretical models and suggests that the perspective of work as a “terminal Value” (i.e., an end in itself, rather than strictly a means to an end) has been under-emphasized in models of work behavior. As such, either (1) measures of sales performance should be broadened to encompass the terminal value perspective on the psychological value of work or (2) conceptual models should be revised to reflect that narrowly defined measures of sales performance do not completely mediate the effect of effort on job satisfaction. The authors conclude with a discussion of managerial implications of these findings.

GO TO ARTICLE
Related Articles:

Keywords: ,

Consumers Who Buy from Direct Sales Companies

Previous empirical research has focused on purchases made by telephone, catalog, and computer but has neglected the 4 modes of direct selling, which are: 1. one-on-one selling in a home, 2. one-on-one selling at a workplace, 3. a sales party at a consumer’s home, and 4. a sales party at a workplace, church, or other location. Data from 988 questionnaires were collected from a sample of consumers drawn from a national consumer mail panel in August 1987. Questions covering 3 other retailing modes were included to facilitate the interpretation of perceptions. Overall, 57% of the survey participants stated that they had purchased from a direct sales company at least once in the 12 months preceding data collection, compared to the 69% that made a catalog purchase during the same time period. One-on-one direct selling in a home was the most popular mode of direct selling, with 36% of the respondents buying through such a mode in the 12-month period. Direct sales purchasers were found to be younger, more educated, and more affluent than nonpurchasers.

GO TO ARTICLE
Related Articles:

Keywords: , ,